In recent times, being a CEO in Australia is no longer just about managing operations and delivering shareholder value. It’s also about surviving the media spotlight and the impact it has on brand reputation.
A new report from Medianet Insights, Brand Reputation: The Role of the Australian CEO, lays bare how reputation, gender, media visibility, and crisis response collide to shape the fortunes of Australia’s corporate leaders.
Analysing over 15,000 media mentions of ASX 300 CEOs between January and June 2025 using Medianet’s Media Monitoring platform, the findings reveal a clear pattern: high media visibility often signals brand distress, not leadership strength. And when women are at the helm, that visibility becomes even more intense.
The Glass Cliff?
Women comprise just 8% of ASX 300 CEOs. Yet, they dominated media coverage during times of brand crisis. Take Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson and Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell. Despite leading brands ranked among the least trusted in the country, their names topped media mentions in this study period, more than 60% of the total coverage of CEOs from low-trust brands. Their male counterparts, leading equally troubled firms, often escaped the spotlight.
Medianet’s analysts call it what it is: a textbook example of the “glass cliff.”
The “glass cliff” refers to a phenomenon where women are elevated to top leadership roles during periods of crisis, when reputational risk is already high, and are subsequently judged more harshly.
“These findings should prompt every board and comms team to look carefully at how they support leaders, especially women, as they navigate complex media environments,” said Jacquie Hanna, Head of Insights at Medianet Insights.
Across sectors — from aviation to energy to retail — the pattern was consistent. Women leaders dominated media coverage during times of organisational crisis. The data showed that even when male and female CEOs were leading brands through similar issues, women were far more likely to be named, quoted, and held accountable in the media narrative.
Social media only sharpened this dynamic. Though engagement levels were often high for female leaders like Melanie Perkins (Canva) and Vicki Brady (Telstra), the tone was not always kind. Online sentiment could swing quickly, especially when personal brand and corporate values appeared misaligned.
Meanwhile, male leaders such as Stephen Rue (Optus) and Jakob Stausholm (Rio Tinto) faced comparable scrutiny within their organisations but remained far less prominent in media coverage.
Visibility ≠ Strength
Contrary to traditional beliefs, more media coverage doesn’t mean a stronger leadership profile. The opposite is often true.
Take the case of Woolworths and Bunnings—two retail giants, both featured in recent investigations conducted by ABC’s Four Corners. Woolworths’ former CEO, Brad Banducci, appeared in the interview, which triggered 74% of media mentions in comparison to Bunnings’ CEO, Mike Schneider, at just 26%.
Amanda Bardwell succeeded Banducci but continued to receive disproportionate media attention throughout 2025.
The difference? Woolworths opted to put its CEO in front of the cameras, resulting in a 7% drop in share price and sustained negative media attention. Meanwhile, Bunnings CEO Mike Schneider adopted a low-profile strategy and retained his brand’s place as the most trusted in the country.
The report also warns against high-risk broadcast formats like current affairs interviews, noting that the medium itself can amplify reputational fallout.
New Reputational Landmines
While gender dynamics drew the headlines, the report also exposes the top issues pushing CEOs into the media spotlight. The three most prominent risks in the current Australian business landscape during this period are:
- Profiteering: Also known as price gouging, this was a leading media trigger, particularly for Australian companies facing backlash during the cost-of-living crisis.
- Greenwashing: One in five ESG-related media mentions involved greenwashing. EnergyAustralia serves as a key example, fined $14 million for misleading environmental claims tied to its “Go Neutral” campaign, resulting in a serious reputational hit.
- Cybersecurity: Still a silent brand killer, cyber breaches can generate damaging headlines that linger. A data breach at AustralianSuper drove 20% of all cyber-related media coverage in 2025, with sustained negative fallout.
One issue, surprisingly underreported in mainstream media, is DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion). The report notes that while some CEOs remain cautious, leaders like Melanie Perkins (Canva), Vicki Brady (Telstra), and Shemara Wikramanayake (Macquarie) have embraced DEI messaging without suffering reputational damage. Their success suggests that authenticity in DEI communication can enhance, not harm, a CEO’s standing.
These risks magnify the pressures on modern CEOs, who must now juggle the roles of brand steward, crisis manager, ESG navigator, and media spokesperson.
Proactive Leadership or Low-Profile Strategy?
The report outlines two paths for modern CEOs: either embrace the role of public spokesperson or strategically retreat behind strong brand storytelling.
Leaders like Matt Comyn (CommBank) exemplify the former—his broad media presence and openness have helped shape a more trusted public image. Meanwhile, Mike Schneider’s understated public appearances and community-focused marketing have earned Bunnings both media favour and public trust, without his name dominating the news cycle.
Comyn’s success also reflects the power of a well-crafted personal brand. His transparency and thought leadership on housing affordability and stakeholder communication have driven both positive sentiment and strong media presence.
But every leader must calibrate their visibility. The report cautions that there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy: what works for one CEO may backfire for another, especially when brand trust is already fragile.
Amrita Sidhu, Managing Director of Medianet, reinforces that reactive communications are no longer enough. “Leaders need to anticipate risks and ensure their communications are deliberate and impactful, particularly when navigating high-stakes situations,” she said.
The findings of this report highlight the growing need for smarter, more deliberate media strategies, especially around crisis response, media format selection, DEI narratives, and leadership transitions.
A CEO’s public profile now carries real influence over brand trust and stakeholder confidence. For female leaders, that influence often comes with heightened visibility and greater vulnerability, placing them at the centre of both organisational pressure and media scrutiny.
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Download the full report 'Brand reputation: the role of the Australian CEO' to learn about the ways corporate leaders navigate unprecedented levels of scrutiny towards their organisations – and themselves. Click here.
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